A new $1.2 million fund, the Paul and Theresa Johnston Graduate Fellowship, will give Trinity’s engineering and computer science students an opportunity to complete their postgraduate degree in Stanford University.
The endowment, made to Trinity by graduate Dr Paul Johnston and his wife, Theresa, will cover the cost of one engineer or computer science graduate from Trinity attending Stanford University each year. Stanford University is currently ranked as the third best university in the world by Times Higher Education, and partly due to its position in Silicon Valley, California, is known as one of the best universities in the world for engineers and computer scientists.
Johnston, who graduated from Trinity with a degree in civil engineering and is currently a member of the School of Engineering’s Development Board, spoke of his ambition to connect the two respective universities in a press statement. “The primary objective is to provide increased opportunities for exceptional Trinity graduates. We are also hoping that this fellowship will strengthen ties significantly between Stanford and Trinity”, he said.
After he graduated from Trinity, Johnston went on to complete a masters degree in structural engineering in Stanford University, before gaining a doctorate in civil engineering from the same university. During his time at Stanford, Johnston was a consulting assistant professor in the civil engineering department, and was a member of the university’s Engineering Advisory Council.
In 2007, Johnston was appointed President of civil engineering and scientific consulting firm, Exponent, which is based in Silicon Valley, and was made CEO in 2009.
His wife, Theresa, is a political science and communication graduate from Stanford, and is a free-lance writer for a number of the university’s publications.
Stanford University, which was established in 1885, currently has an endowment fund of $22.2 billion. There are currently 20 Nobel laureates working within the university, while some of the biggest companies in the world, including Netflix and Instagram, were founded by the university’s alumni.
